Darien ballerina dances with Moscow Ballet

Amanda Hultmark, 12, plays mouse in Great Russian Nutcracker alongside 9 other children in Rosemont

January 03, 2013|By Joseph Ruzich, Special to the Tribune

Amanda Hultmark, 12, donned ballet slippers for role as a mouse in Great Russian Nutcracker. (Joseph Ruzich, Chicago Tribune)

Amanda Hultmark, 12, of Darien tried out for a role in the Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker on a lark, but loved that she landed a part for the holiday performance at the Akoo Theatre in Rosemont.

"It was so exciting," said Amanda, who played a mouse alongside nine other children who were mostly from the area. "I never thought I would actually be picked."

Her father, Randy, 43, found a newspaper advertisement about auditions for boys and girls ages 7 to 17. Tryouts were in September at the Dance Quest studio in Plainfield and were overseen by staff of the Southport Performing Arts Conservatory in Chicago.

"I just wanted to try out for fun," Amanda said.

She said her part occurred in the first act and involved the mice chasing one of the main characters, Clara, around the stage to get some cheese. Before and after they performed, the mice waited back stage, enjoying all the excitement and commotion that takes place behind the curtain.

"There were a lot of people coming and going," she said. "They (the professionals) also came and told us we did a great job."

Amanda said preparation for the ballet required practice every Friday evening for three months at the studio in Plainfield.

She is in the sixth grade at Downers Grove Christian School and has been taking ballet at the Midwest Ballet Academy Downers Grove since she was 4. Her mother, Gina, also 43, said her daughter first started lessons at the Darien Park District when she was 3.

"She was a little girl and I thought it would be cute to enroll her in ballet," said Gina Hultmark. "But she started to pick dancing up really fast. She doesn't really like many other sports."

Randy Hultmark said seeing his daughter on stage was an incredible experience for him and his wife. And it was a learning experience for her.